A thunderous explosion roared across the entire set. The vehicle had detonated. Wrapped in flames, the car shot into the air before crashing back down to the ground. The impact naturally flipped it over.
The camera kept filming the overturned car as it burned.
Then, for a brief moment, silence fell.
Only the sound of the burning vehicle filled the set. It went on for several long seconds. Then, all at once, Song Manwoo PD's loud signal rang out across the entire location.
"...Good! We got it!!!"
After several reshoots, the long-take scene had finally earned its first OK. In other words, the shot was complete. The moment Song Manwoo PD gave the signal, the cameraman holding the camera let out a long breath and collapsed to the floor.
Hoo—
After Kang Woojin, the person who had probably moved the most during that long take was the cinematographer. At the same time, dozens of staff members rushed toward the burning vehicle with fire extinguishers in hand.
-Swoooosh!!
The flames consuming the vehicle were quickly put out with multiple extinguishers. They even sprayed it down with water afterward, just in case. While the vehicle team dealt with the aftermath, others checked on the abandoned building. There were countless Thai actors and props scattered around. Song Manwoo PD patted the exhausted cameraman on the shoulder.
"You did well."
Still gasping for breath, the cinematographer asked,
"I didn't do anything except run around carrying the camera. Woojin did everything. Did it come out well?"
"Of course. Thanks to you."
Kang Woojin was surrounded by staff. Naturally, it was the makeup team. They had to wipe away the blood and soot. Woojin had his eyes closed, maintaining his composure. Even after the gunfight and explosion, he looked as calm as though nothing had happened. Of course, that was only on the outside.
Inside, his adrenaline was still surging.
'Wow, my heart is still pounding.'
Even though he had experienced Jang Yeonwoo's world through the Void Space, the quality of Beneficial Evil as realized through filming was far from bad.
Right then.
"Woojin!"
Several people approached Kang Woojin as he was getting his makeup touched up. The first to arrive was Choi Sunggeon, his hair tied back in a ponytail. From the moment filming had started, he had been full of worry that Woojin might get hurt, but now a smile finally spread across his face.
"That was the best, absolutely perfect! It felt like I was watching a Hollywood film."
After him came the rest of Kang Woojin's team, including Han Yejung. Their energy was almost identical to Choi Sunggeon's, and even writer Choi Nana and Executive Director Kim Sohyang gave him enthusiastic thumbs-ups.
"Woojin-nim!! That was incredible! I was holding my breath the whole time! Thank you so much! The result is far better than anything I imagined!"
"That's right. I'm not just saying that. It was unbelievably amazing."
Kang Woojin answered in a low voice.
"Really?"
Soon, applause broke out among the gathered staff. It was only natural. There were a few staff members who had experience with long takes, but they were an extreme minority. The long-take scene they had just witnessed was overwhelming.
Right then.
-Swish.
A blonde woman approached. It was Miley Cara. The moment she appeared, the people around Kang Woojin instinctively gave her space. With a faint smile at the corner of her lips, Cara spoke to Woojin in English.
"That was absolutely brilliant. It felt like I was on a Hollywood set."
Woojin kept his detached attitude and lowered his English tone.
"Thank you."
"You saying this is your first time doing action and a long take is a lie, right?"
"It really is my first time."
"No way. Who would believe anyone could create that kind of tension on their first attempt? No matter how perfect the rehearsal was, finishing a long-take scene like that in less than half a day is a miracle."
Well, if a global superstar like Cara said so, it was probably true. But since Kang Woojin did not really know much about Hollywood, it did not mean much to him. As always, there was only one thing for him to do here.
Act strong.
"It wasn't especially difficult."
"...That's honestly unbelievable."
Then Song Manwoo PD, who was directing on site, joined them. Beside him stood the stunt director and Ethan Smith.
"Woojin-ssi! That was incredible!!"
Amid the excitement, Song Manwoo PD guided Kang Woojin toward the monitors. Since the shot was done, he suggested they check it briefly. The long-take footage began playing on the camera monitor the cinematographer had been holding. People crowded around Woojin, and while his face remained impassive, inwardly he was filled with awe.
'Wow, seeing it on the monitor makes it feel completely different.'
The scene he had just performed so intensely felt different on screen. It was flashy, but somehow elegant, while also being rough and violent. And yet it was stylish too. For a moment, Woojin suddenly wanted to see it not on a small monitor, but on a huge television screen instead.
The people around him seemed to share his reaction, applauding and letting out admiring comments.
At that moment.
"Woojin-ssi."
With a satisfied expression, Song Manwoo PD asked Kang Woojin,
"What do you think? Does it look all right?"
Without taking his eyes off the monitor, Woojin answered shortly.
"Do you feel that it's lacking?"
"No, no, no. Not at all. It looks fine. But I'd like to try it one more time. The shot turned out great, but as directors, we can never be completely satisfied. If you're all right with it, how about we shoot it once more? Of course, the decision is entirely yours."
Kang Woojin replied in a cool tone.
"I have no problem with that. Use me as many times as you need."
Late that night, in the mountains.
Darkness was slowly spreading across the mountain. Somewhere, the cries of animals echoed. In the eerie forest, a small shack stood out. It looked so old that it seemed ready to collapse at any second.
The inside was no more than around five pyeong, about sixteen square meters.
There was nothing visible except darkness and the shape of a person. The figure was small and lying on the floor.
Then.
"..."
Another figure appeared among the trees behind the shack, hidden in the forest. It was Kang Woojin.
Around then.
-Rustle!
The sound of movement came from somewhere. Kang Woojin lowered himself even further. Soon, about four people appeared in front of the shack. He studied them carefully.
"J."
A woman's voice sounded quietly from the front of the shack. At that moment, Kang Woojin rose from where he was lying in wait. The camera followed his movement. He walked up to the woman and shone the flashlight in his hand toward them. Three sturdy men came into view, along with a blonde woman wearing a bulletproof vest.
It was not L.
It was Miley Cara.
As Woojin approached, L, who had been holding a pistol, holstered it at her waist and asked,
"What's the status of the target?"
Woojin pointed toward the inside of the shack with his index finger.
"Inside."
The men and L entered the shack. They shined their lights on the girl lying on the floor. L, her blonde hair tied back again, gave a small nod.
"It's her, right? Is she dead?"
Woojin, who entered the shack last, answered in a low voice.
"No."
"Still in this state?"
"It's probably the drugs. If we leave her like this, she'll die."
"I can't just let that happen. Do you have any idea how much her father's assets are worth?"
"What's the situation?"
L stepped closer to Woojin and spoke.
"This whole area is crawling with hostiles. They've blocked every road and bridge leading out of town. The most important thing is getting out of here alive. Once we're clear, a helicopter will be waiting."
L, in other words Cara, muttered under her breath as she tugged on Woojin's sweat-soaked gray T-shirt.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"...Going alone was reckless."
"It was easier that way."
She let out a breath and, as the leader, started issuing orders to everyone.
"You two take your positions and provide sniper support. Jack, wait at the rendezvous point."
"Got it."
The big men lifted the girl and left the shack. Then L said to Kang Woojin,
"J, you're moving with me too."
"I told you. You're just baggage."
L snarled.
"Shut up. I don't want to see you get hurt."
──────────
The next day, Wednesday the 22nd, in Tokyo, Japan.
The location was a mid-sized editing room at Toega Film, near Tokyo Station. Editing was underway there for the film The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, and for some reason, Director Kyotaro and the original author Akari were both present.
"..."
"..."
The CEO of Toega Film, several executives, distribution staff, and the cast of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice except for Kang Woojin were all gathered there. Every actor except Kang Woojin had shown up, and more than thirty people were intently staring at the largest screen among the many monitors in front of them.
A powerful sound filled the entire editing room.
-♬♪
On the monitor were not only Kang Woojin, but also the Japanese actors gathered in the editing room. From Director Kyotaro to writer Akari, every expression there was serious and focused.
The reason was simple.
They were currently holding the final test screening of the completed version of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. The problem was that as the content of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice grew more intense, shock gradually began to show on the faces of everyone there except for Director Kyotaro. At that point, the original author, Takikawa Akari, glanced sideways at Director Kyotaro sitting beside her.
'The quality is outstanding. It's by far the best adaptation of anything I've ever written. But… doesn't the editing feel a little bold?'
The Japanese actors could not take their eyes off the monitor.
'Wow, they really put a lot into this.'
'Will this really be okay? Especially with the media and public opinion already in an uproar… ha… I honestly don't know.'
Among them, Kosaku Mana, who played Detective Yoshizawa Mochio and had directly faced off against the Kiyoshi portrayed by Woojin, smiled faintly. It was a satisfied smile.
'Detective Mochio is impressive too, but he really captured Kiyoshi perfectly.'
At least in the eyes of Kosaku Mana, one of Japan's top actors, this was a work on a completely different level.
Meanwhile.
With the world-famous Cannes Film Festival only a week away, the entire world was in an uproar as usual. People connected to Cannes were especially so. As the festival drew near, everyone involved had been swept up in a restless excitement.
International news frequently covered Cannes.
[[The Cannes Film Festival opens on the 30th! With a long list of star directors attending this year, even more heat is expected!]]
Even in Hollywood, which was often seen as the summit of the global film industry, Cannes came up as a frequent topic of conversation.
"This year's Cannes feels noisier than usual."
"I heard there are a lot more submissions than last year, and quite a few big-name directors are attending too. On top of that, it looks like the Cannes committee put a lot of work into the invitation list. Not just world-famous actors, but influential directors and film industry figures from all over were invited."
"Haha, maybe they're trying to make up for last year's mistakes. There was a lot of controversy then too."
"They probably have no intention of losing their place as one of the world's three biggest international film festivals."
"So is that why they selected such a diverse lineup for the Competition section? I heard there's even a Korean entry."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. It's from Director Ahn Gabok. He's always been a director who draws attention at Cannes."
Naturally, from France, the home of Cannes, to Germany, the UK, and the other countries whose films had been invited this year, the atmosphere was almost identical to Hollywood's.
"You should reserve your hotel early. Last year, I misjudged the situation and all the hotels near Cannes were booked solid, so I had to spend the night in my car."
"Right. This time we need to be more careful. Especially since we'll need to arrive two days before the opening."
"This year, more countries are participating than last year, so the number of attendees is expected to be significantly higher than usual. Several Asian countries are coming too, including India, Japan, and Korea."
"Korea made it into Competition this year, didn't it? That surprised me. They've been quiet for years."
"There's a lot of talk that Cannes forcibly included a Korean film in the lineup just to show diversity."
"Well, who knows. Korea has historically done well at Cannes almost every year. When the results come out, we'll find out whether it was just for show or if there was genuine talent there."
The Japanese directors who had two films in Competition were especially wary of Director Ahn Gabok. In this way, not only Korea but the whole global film world had its eyes fixed on Cannes in southern France. Countless world-famous actors and directors, along with well-known figures from many different industries, were expected to gather there.
At that level, it was obvious that Nice Airport near Cannes would be crowded with private jets carrying celebrities.
In other words, the economic impact of the Cannes Film Festival was enormous.
That was why France poured such effort into Cannes. More than 4,000 journalists from around the world were expected to attend, and the number of official invitees would exceed 20,000. But the real appeal was the number of tourists who took a major interest in Cannes. It was difficult to estimate exactly, but when you added together the crowds that flocked to Cannes from around the world every year, the total likely reached into the hundreds of thousands.
It was truly a grand global festival.
That was why the competition among global corporations to become official sponsors of Cannes was so fierce. Simply being listed as an official sponsor brought the kind of global promotional impact that hit like a nuclear explosion.
And if you became even a small issue at Cannes?
Whether you were a director, a film, or an actor, the effect would be beyond imagination. That was why so many of those officially invited to the festival, the ultimate celebration of world filmmakers, had already begun arriving. Hollywood's biggest stars and globally famous actors had arrived first, of course, because Cannes also gave them an excuse to enjoy a vacation in the south of France.
Then, two days later, on the morning of the 24th, Director Ahn Gabok, whose film Leech was the only Korean film in Competition, appeared at Incheon Airport.
[[Director Ahn Gabok, whose Leech is in Cannes Competition, spotted at Incheon Airport on his way to Cannes before the opening / Photo]]
More precisely, he was on his way to board a flight to France.
"Whew, let's go to Cannes!"
"Yes, Director."
He was heading straight into Cannes, that global battlefield.